Plug and jack assembly



April 13, 1948.

l E. MENTOR 2,439,744

PLUG AND JACK ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. l5, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y A7 y.

pl'il-13, 1948. E, MENTOR 2,439,744

PLUG AND JACK ASSEMBLY INVENTOR.

MHJWMJY Patented Apr. 13, 1948 Y PLUG AND JACK ASSEMBLY Eugene L. Mentor, Westminster, Mass., assigner to Simplex Time Recorder Co., Gardner,

Mass.,

a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 15, 1945, serial No. 635,295

This invention relates to a plug and jack assembly designed for conveniently connecting or disconnecting :a pair of wires. My improved plug and jack assembly is capable of general application but is particularly adapted for use in a multiple assembly block by which a plurality of plugs and jacks are simultaneously connected or disconnected.

It is the general object of my invention to provide a plug and jack assembly which may be easily operated manually and in which" a rm and reli' able contact is maintained when the parts are assembled. A further object is to provide a plug and jack assembly so constructed that each plug is accurately aligned with its jack before final seating therein.

To the attainment of these general objects, important features of my invention relate to the provision of guide sleeves having slightly tapered inner surfaces, plugs of substantial diameter and each' having a rounded entrance end, and interposed jack sleeves mounted for limited sliding movement relative to the guide sleeves and each having a split and contracted inner end portion which makes eifective and reliable engagement with its plug when the plugs are fully seated.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims,

A preferred form of th'e invention is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved plug and jack assembly, partly assembled;

Fig. 2 is a similar View but with assembled;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation invention; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a slidable jack sleeve.

Referring to the drawings, my improved assembly comprises a plug unit and a jack unit. Each of these units may be made-up to accommodate any number of plugs or jacks and seventy or more pairs of plugs and jacks commonly constitute a single assembly.

The plug unit shown at the right in Fig. 1 comprises a front panel I and a back panel II, held in spaced relation by collars I2 and rmly secured together by bolts I4. Each plug I5 has an enlarged portion I6 preferably equal in length to the spacing collars I 2, and each plug also has a reduced portion I'I which extends through and is preferably riveted outside of the panel II, as shown at I8. The outer end of each plug I5 is the parts fully of a plug as used in my 3 Claims. (Cl. 173-363).

also threaded to receive a screw I9 by wh'ich a wire or terminal clip W may be secured- The operative portion 22 (Fig. 3) of the plug I5 is preferably cylindrical and of substantial diameter and is rounded at its inner end as indicated at 23. The spaced panels I0 and I I and the plugs I 5 mounted in definitely spaced relation between the panels Ill an-d II constitute the plug unit.

The jack unit comprises a front panel 30, a back panel 3| and an intermediate panel 32, all held in spaced relation by collars 33 and 34 and clamped together by bolts 35.

Guide sleeves 40 :are mounted in aligned openings in the panels 3| and 32, and are surrounded by reenforcing bushings 4I, preferably seated in recesses 42 Vin the rear side of th'e intermediate panel 32 and abutting the front surface of the back panel 3|. 'I'he vbushings 4I help in aligning the guide sleeves 40 and in preventing swelling or outward expansion of the guide sleeves when in use. The parts 4I) and 4I may be secured together before assembly in the jack unit or may be formed integral, if so desired. v

Each guide sleeve 40 h'as its inner surface 43 slightly enlarged or tapered toward the front panel 30, and the rear end of each guide sleeve 40 is preferably cut away to provide an eXtension 44 to which a wire WI may be soldered or otherwise secured.

A Jack sleeve 50 (Figs. 1 and 4) is provided for each guide sleeve 4U, and these jack sleeves are mounted in spaced openings 5I in the front panel 30 of the jack assembly, each jack sleevelill being a very loose t in its opening 5I.

Each' jack sleeve 50 is provided with an end flange 52 (Fig. 4) and with a collar 53 to limit sliding movement of the jack sleeve relative to the panel 30. The collar 53 may be formed integral with the jack sleeve 50 but preferably is formed separate and is forced thereon or otherwise firmly secured in the position shown in Fig. 4. The rear or inner end of each jack sleeve 50 is slotted in quarters at 55 and is inwardly tapered as indicated at 56.

'Ihe parts are shown in partially assembled relation in Fig. 1, with the plugs I5 contacting the contracted inner ends of the jack sleeves 5U, and with the jack sleeves 50 substantially in their outermost positions and loosely supported in the panel 30 and in the enlarged or tapered `outer ends of the guide sleeves 40.

As pressure is thereafter applied to the plug unit, the front panel I0 of said unit will engage the end flanges 52 of the jack sleeves 50 and will force the sleeves rearward in the jack assembly 3 until the collars 53 engage the intermediate panel 32 in the position shown in Fig. 2.

While the jack sleeves 5l) are thus being moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the final or seating position shown in Fig. 2, the split end portions 56 of the jack sleeves are forced inward by the contracting surfaces i3 of the sleeves 40, and the inwardly contracted end portions 55 then rmly engage the outer surfaces of the plugs I5. Such engagement is under pressure, and reliable and eiective contact is thus provided and main;-

tained.

It will be noted that nal assembly pressure need be applied only after the parts reach the partially assembled position shown inl Fig. 1, in'

which position the parts are all accurately aligned 4 said jack sleeve when said jack sleeve is fully seated in the rearwardly contracted bore of said fixed guide sleeve, and said two sleeves and plug being of conducting material.

2. A plug and jack assembly comprising a fixed guide sleeve having a rearwardly contracted bore, a jack sleeve slidable in said guide sleeve and havinga slotted and inwardly displaced rear end portion, anda plug insertable in said jack sleeve, the rearwardly contracted boreof said guide sleeve forcing the slotted portion of said jack sleeve inwardlyl andthe free end of said plug being rounded `and forcing the extreme rear end eleand ready for final seating. Furthermore, when the parts are to be separated, a short initial movement of the plug assembly withdraws all of the plugs I5 and jack sleeves 50 from the tapered guide sleeves 4il..so that pressure is quickly relieved on the plugs l5, which are thereafter freely removable.

My improved assembly has the important aclvantage that the jack sleeves- 53 are normally quite loosely mounted, so thatthey can be easily aligned withv the plugs l5, which may not be in exact alignment as manually presented. Furthermore, theV final .seating pressure is not applied until the parts are so far. assembled that accurate alignmentis insured. l Y

Having thus deseriledv my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not Wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, .but what IV claim is:

l. A plug and jack assembly comprising a fixed guide sleeve having a rearwardly contracted bore, a jack sleeve slidabl'e ih said guide sleeve and having a slotted and inwardly displaced rear end portion, and a plug insertable insaid jack .sleeve and firmly engaged by the slotted rear end portion of ments of 'saidjack sleeve outwardly as said plug is fully seated, thereby effecting rm contact of said plug, jack'sleeve and guide sleeve, all of which are of conducting materials.

3. In a plug and jack assembly, a jack unit comprising front, back and intermediate panels, means to secure said panels in spaced relation, a guide sleeve xed relative to said panels, a jack sleeve slidable in said guide sleeve and loe'selyslidable in thefront panel, and means to linit `'sliding movement of said jack sleeve in saidfrontpa'nel in both directions, said sleeves being ofcnd'uctin'g materialand being firmly engaged with each other when fully assembled.l

' EUGENE L. MENTOR.

RFRENCES or'rii r'llheiollowing references are 'of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date v v Number Name 1,753,317 Rothen Apr. 8, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date.

40 Sweden 1919 

